Don't overlook Houston Astros prospect Joe Musgrove

You should keep close track of Houston Astros pitching prospect Joe Musgrove. He's having an excellent season, although not many people outside of Astros circles are paying much attention, yet.

Drafted by the Blue Jays in the supplemental first round in 2011 out of high school in El Cajon, California, Musgrove was traded to Houston in July 2012. His progress was slow at first, but quite interesting. He posted a forgettable 4.41 ERA in rookie ball in 2013, but with a sharp 30/4 K/BB in 33 innings. In 2014 he improved the ERA to 2.81 for Tri-City in the New York-Penn League, maintaining the pretty K/BB at 67/10 in 77 innings.

Musgrove opened 2015 in Low-A with an incredible 23/1 K/BB in 26 innings for Low-A Quad Cities, leading to a 0.70 ERA. Promoted to High-A Lancaster, he remained allergic to walks with a 43/1 (not a typo) in 30 innings with a 2.40 ERA. Remember, that's the Cal League, where pitchers wilt.

Promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi, he has a 26/4 K/BB in 39 innings with a 2.08 ERA.

The problem for Musgrove in terms of getting noticed is that his season has been split between three levels, making it easy to miss him on a casual glance if you don't track the Houston system closely. But put the three levels together, you get a composite 1.81 ERA in 95 innings, 81 hits allowed, with a 92/6 K/BB.

Here's a look at him warming up from "Farmsystem".

Musgrove is no soft-tosser, peaking as high as 97 and working steadily in the low-90s. His secondary pitches were unrefined when he got into pro ball but he's made substantial progress with his curveball and change-up.

Three solid pitches. Exceptional control that has held up in Double-A. 6-5, 230 pound workhorse body. Just 22 years old. Don't overlook Joe Musgrove.